Harley and the Doctor
by A. C. Whitlock
Summary: 16 yearold Harley Alice is always having strange things happen around her. Things start getting stranger though. Science fiction has walked right off the tv screen. She always believed in it, but can she live with it? Follow her adventures with doctor who
1. Chapter 1: Meeting the Doctor

Harley Alice walked through the hallways at school. It was late and she wasn't sure why she was there but something wasn't right. There were other people there.

"Everyone line up!" a voice yelled over the intercom.

Suddenly she was standing on the side walk outside next to the parking lot. Something was definitely going on here.

She could see her car a few spaces out. _I must have driven here._ She thought to herself. She turned to look up the sidewalk and was standing in the gym. _Weird!_ Then things got weirder… as Harley looked around the gym she noticed a light coming from the back hall door. It was a flashing light and there was a strange wiring sound. She ran to the door and yanked it open in time to see a man climbing out of a blue police box.

He was tall, in his thirties. He had brown hair that looked wind blown and large brown eyes. Before she could get to him though, she was standing on the sidewalk again. _What is going on here!?_

She made her way to car her. Weaving in and out of the crowd of people in the school parking lot. Why are there so many people here? What was with science fiction walking off the TV screen into the hallways at school? And how did she get to school in the first place?

Suddenly there was screaming and small explosions everywhere. She was thrown against the back of her car. She climbed in the back window. The keys were already in the ignition. The man from the back hallway of the gym ran across the parking lot head ducked to avoid flying debris. She threw open the front passenger door.

"Doctor! Get in!"

He looked at her wide eyed and slid in the passenger side. _What am I thinking? He's nothing but trouble, haven't you learned anything!?_ She bent over the front seat and turned the key. She couldn't get in the driver seat. It was loaded with… she wasn't sure what was in it. Harley just knew that they needed to get out of there.

"I can't reach the gas!"

"What?"

"The gas. I can't reach it from here!" She shot at him.

"You can't drive from there!"

"Watch me. We have to get out of here! Now, hit the GAS!"

The car shot out of the parking space and across the lot. They were out on the main road. But they were being followed.

"Get that stuff out of my seat!" Harley shouted over the engine kicking into passing gear. The Doctor started pulling the stuff out of the driver seat and throwing it in the back. "Hold the wheel while get over."

He grabbed the wheel and she kicked over the side of the seat and slid, pulling the buckle down and fastening it at the same time. "Seatbelt?" she raised an eyebrow and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was already fastened in, knuckles white on the door handle. She smiled to herself.

"Ah! That was my turn home! Probably don't want to lead them there anyway…" she was barely aware that she was talking out loud. "Maybe we should go… no I need to get home to my stuff and we have to get you back to the Tardis."

He looked at her a smile spread across his face. This one of those smiles that made all his previous companions fall in love with him, she just looked at him shocked. "You know about that?" he asked.

"Hmm." she grimaced slightly. "Of course. A lot of people do." She looked at him. His smile was fading. "But not all of them believe."

**alright this is my first ever fanfiction. please review. i'll be writing more, i promise but i wont know if it is worth my time or not unless you review.  
so please, please, please review... **


	2. Chapter 2: Q&A

She drove faster, pushing the engine harder than she should

She drove faster, pushing the engine harder than she should. She listened to her car whine; the speedometer crept closer to 95. The rpm's were up farther than she should have them in her old car. She looked at the Doctor again; his knuckles still white as he clung to the door for all he was worth.

"I bet you have questions." She asked trying to distract herself.

"Naw. Well…" he was eyeing her strangely. It was that look that let you know he was actually clueless.

"Shoot. We have plenty of time." The car started to slow. "I think I lost them for now. We should be good as long we stay on the interstate."

"How old are you?" that was hardly the most pressing thing he needed to know but she answered anyway.

"Sixteen."

"And how long have you been driving?" his tone was conversational now that the speedometer was dropping into a safe range for the vehicle.

"Long enough." She glanced in the rearview mirror. "I need to get to my house. The problem is if I drive there they could follow me. I know that this is where you would let someone else do the thinking. But I would much rather you thought while I drove."

"How can you know anything? You're only human. Wait, you are human aren't you?"

"What kind of a question is that?" she rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm human. Surely you know. You have to know. I mean… c'mon…" she stared at him waiting for it to dawn on him. "They have a TV show called Doctor Who. Three guesses what it is about."

He didn't say anything.

"I'm used to strange things happening. This is ridiculous though." She waved her hand at him and shook her head.

"A TV show?" he gave her that look like he knew what she was talking about but didn't believe a word of it. "What?!"

"David Tennant is really good." She mumbled to herself. "He sounds exactly like you. That is same thing he said when he first met Donna. She showed up on the Tardis one day. Just pulled in by Huon particles. That one was good. Did that really happen? Or are they just making things up based on you?"

She hadn't realized it but she had started to babble. He was still giving her that look. "Ok… different topic… what brought you to Georgia? Well I guess the better question is what do you know about what is happening at my school?"

"That was your school?"

"Yeah. I'm not really sure how I got there though. The last thing I remember is turning off my TV, and fixing my pillow. Then I was at school fully dressed and not entirely sure how I got there…" she paused. "Sorry about the babbling. I can't always help it. Sometimes I don't even know even that I'm babbling… you still haven't asked the most important question." She was suddenly quiet when she spoke the last sentence.

"Oh? And what's that?" he watched the road trying to look calm.

"Who I am. I think that should have been the second thing you asked."

They both sat there waiting for the other to speak.

"Well," he finally caved, "who are you?"

"Harley Alice." Her voice wasn't blank but it wasn't quite thrilled to have introduced herself to trouble.

"Do you have a last name?"

"Do you have a name?" She shot at him angrily. His eyes widened in shock at her tone. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Yes, I have a last name but I don't think it is any of your business."

"Sounds fair…"

"I don't really like pushing my car any harder than I have to. I don't like being clueless. I hate knowing that there were people back there getting hurt and there isn't anything I can do about it because my stuff is at home and your Tardis is still at the school. So please excuse my impatience and attitude. I need a coke so I can I try to clear my head…" Harley spoke through gritted teeth. She _was_ sorry. She knew she didn't have the right to snap at him.

They drove for another twenty minutes. Then she took an exit that had a McDonald's, a gas station, and a bank. They were getting further and further from the city. She pulled into the McDonald's parking lot. She put the car in park and reached around for her wallet.

"Crap! I don't have money…" something wasn't right. "Shoot! I don't have a license. It was in my wallet and they aren't here!"

"I hardly think that should be your greatest concern." He was honestly not worried about it.

"I only break the rules I can get away with. I can't get away with this one if we get pulled over…" she glared. "I don't have a problem with breaking rules. Speed limit, curfew, how clean my room is, when my homework gets done… those things don't matter to me. But if they were to pull me over for breaking curfew _and _I didn't have a license they would have a field day."

Her eyes came out of the glare. "Psychic paper!" she half whispered, half screamed. "Tell me you have that with you." She was still half whispering and half screaming.

He didn't say anything. He slid his hand into his jacket and pulled out a worn leather case. "I wonder…" he pulled out a second case that looked very similar.

Harley cocked her head to the side looking confused. "I hate when you get that look. Well, not _you_ per say… but you know what I mean…"

He stacked the two cases on each other and tossed them lightly into her lap. She dropped her gaze to stare at them. "What do you want me to do?" She sounded reluctant to ask the question.

"Which one is the psychic paper?"

She stared at him with out blinking for a moment. She wasn't sure what emotion was frozen on her face. Probably confusion by the way he smiled at her. She picked up the two leather cases. She looked at them a second. Then she flipped them open at the same time. Nothing. Both were blank.

"Would like to truly test me?" She asked tossing them back at him. "Then try actually using them on me."

He picked them up and thought for a moment. "Alright… John Smith. Nice to meet you." He flipped open both cases like an id of some kind.

She looked at the both of them for a second. She waited. "Even If I knew that it was just a trick wouldn't I still be able to see it?" She cocked her head to the side leaning in a little closer to the two papers he held up. "Blank." She confirmed. "So tell me which one it is. I'll need it if we're going to get money for a drink."

"That's… that's something that there… That's--"

Her voice was bitter and sarcastic as she finished his sentence. "Brilliant!" She slumped back in her seat and rolled her eyes. After a second she sighed. "Well, can I have it? Just for a few minutes while I get some cash for a coke at least. If not the remainder of our running?"

"Alright, but it isn't a toy!"

"Says the overgrown six-year old." She muttered to her self.

They walked across the street to the bank. There were four cars in the parking lot. They walked in to the bank and went to the counter. The lady standing there looked up from a magazine, with a look of mild surprise on her face. Apparently she hadn't been expecting any one to come in. "How can I help you?"

"I'd like to make a withdrawal. I forgot my card but I have my license. I should be on my mom and dads account." Harley let a little embarrassment leak into her voice. She smiled sheepishly, and shrugged slightly.

"Alright sweetie. What's your name?" The lady moved to her computer and got ready to start checking the information.

"Harley Alice."

"Last na--"

"I wouldn't ask her that if I were you." The Doctor cut her off.

"Here is my license." Harley held the psychic paper over the counter for the girl to see. The girl's eyes popped when she saw the name. Harley sighed, closed the psychic paper, and put in her back pocket.

"Well, Miss. I'm sorry for the delay in services I will get right on it! How much did you wish to take out?"

"Just fifty," Harley sighed in defeat.

"Fifty?"

"Fifty dollars. Nothing more… they might notice."

"Of course. Yes. Right. Fifty dollars Miss here you go." The girl reached behind a second counter and pulled out a tray. "How would you like that divided?"

"Two Twenties. Two fives." Harley rolled her eyes.

"Have a wonderful evening Miss--"

"Say it and you won't work another bank as long as I'm alive!" Harley growled turning on the cashier. Her eyes popped again, but she didn't finish her statement.

The Doctor looked down on Harley with an unreadable expression. "Was that necess--" There was huge explosion just out side the door.

"Run!"

"We can't go back to the car!"

"Why not?" the Doctor looked down on her bewildered.

"Because they know the car! That's how they found us!"

"Alright, so we get a different one!"

"No."

"Why not!?"

"Because that explosion was every car in this parking lot!" Harley waved her hand at the flames dancing outside the door. People inside were starting to come out of offices screaming.

"Well then let's go back to your car until we can find a different one!"

**BOOM!!**

"Dammit!"

"What!?" He hollered over the continuing explosions.

"I just got the radio fixed!" Harley whispered getting a shocked and sickened look on her face.

"What!?" The Doctor was confused.

"That was my car!" she whispered looking more and more devastated every second.


	3. Chapter 3: Nameing

Now what

_Now what?_ Harley looked at the ball of flames that was her car. "Why couldn't I loose it because I ran into something like every other teenage girl?" She was half whining, staring at the car, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Was that your first car?" the Doctor was watching as their only chance of escape burned.

"Yeah, it was." She took a deep breath. "We need a way out of here."

"We can run for it."

"Don't you ever get tired of running? Tell me were they real? Donna, Martha, Rose, and Jack… Were they real?"

"I… I don't know that now is the time for that. Why is it so important?" she gave him the most devastated, defeated, pleading look. "Yes, they were real. I don't know how anyone can know about them or me but they were real."

"That's all I needed to know."

"Alright, now, we need to get out of here. What about the gas station? Any cars there?"

They took off toward the gas station. There were two cars in the lot. One was left sitting at the pump. The other was parked off to the side. It was in pretty bad shape. It didn't look like it would start. They looked at each other, shrugged, and ran to it.

"If it starts I'm driving." Harley threw up the hood and started pulling at wires then slammed it shut and got in the driver seat and pulled the cover under the steering wheel off. She pulled at some more wires. "I don't the stuff I need to rewire it."

"Let me try." The doctor had climbed in the passenger seat. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the ignition and it lit up and made that strange little buzzing sound. A second later the roared to life. "Be careful. I don't feel like crashing."

"If anyone should be worried about crashing it's me. You can just regenerate."

"How…?" He didn't finish. Harley whipped the car around and they sped out of the parking lot.

"Now, what do you know about my school? What is going on here? Like I said earlier I'm used to weird but this is ridiculous!" She pushed the car harder, they were being followed again. This car was not going to outrun them anytime soon. Whoever _they_ were.

"I don't know. I was just passing through."

"You are never 'just passing through'." She shot him look out of the corner of her eye. "I know more than you think I do. I'll be more help to you if we're on the same page. Now what is going on?"

"I don't what they are. I do know that they aren't supposed to be here."

"What was your first clue?" She muttered.

"There is a difference between 'not supposed to be here' and 'not supposed to be _here_'. They seem to be drawn to… well I'm not sure but… maybe…"

He trailed off. Harley Alice looked at him. He was eyeing her curiously. "What?"

There was a popping sound and dirt exploded on the road next to the driver side. "They're gaining on us! Can't you fix the accelerator on this thing?"

"Get us back to your school!"

"Alright. How do you think this thing will do off-road?"

They looked at each other and smiled. "How will they do off-road?" They spoke at the same time. Harley slammed on the brakes and spun the wheel to the right. She shifted into second gear and when they stopped spinning she stomped on the gas. The tires squealed and the car shot off toward the field that was just off the road.

The field hadn't been taken care of it was over grown and uneven. She turned off the lights and drove in the general direction of the highway. After a few minutes they could see head lights up ahead. They were still being followed but not as closely. She gave the car a little more gas.

"I hope traffic is flowing right."

"It is. Watch the lights. They are moving that way, back toward the school."

"I didn't mean directionally. I know it's the right direction. I meant that it is moving smoothly. The last thing is for it to be stopped." She sighed. "Atlanta traffic is funny that way."

They were in luck the traffic was actually very spread out. She ran the car as hard as it would go they were still being followed but what ever it was didn't seem interested drawing attention to itself. They drove to the exit for her school. They got off and headed around to the back roads. They were still followed. They came up on the back side of the school.

They managed to get out of the car and halfway to the back door of the gym before they were caught. "Run!" Harley screamed as the sidewalk behind the exploded. They took off.

"I thought you didn't like running?"

"I don't but right now it's our only option. Now let's get inside!" She threw her weight into the gym door and slammed open. They both smacked into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

They collapsed on the floor, shocked from impact with the wall. "Uh… Harley?"

"Yeah?" they were both breathless.

"You didn't happen to see them, did you?"

"No, I was kind of focused on getting through the door in one piece. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," he stood up and held out his hand to help her up. She took his hand and the door they just come through exploded. He pulled her up and they dashed down the hall toward the Tardis.

They got to it and he opened the door and pulled and pulled her in behind him. He slammed the door shut. She let go of his hand and slid down the down the door. Pulling her knees up to her chest. He ran to the console at the center and started pulling levers and pushing buttons.

"I knew it was bigger on the inside… I just didn't realize how much bigger. You sleep better tonight. They got the dimensions wrong for the inside." She said looking up at the ceiling.

"Some how that doesn't make me feel better." He said pulling another lever. "Where do you live?"

"Five thousand five hundred fifty-five Fifth Street…" he looked at her then went back to flipping switches. "I know that's a lot of fives."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it." The Tardis door shook. Harley jumped and half crawled away from it. "How long till we're out of here?"

"Give me a minute." He pulled another lever then the Tardis started whirring and beads of light shot up the center of the console.

"That is just too cool." She whispered, staring around the ship, trying to take in every detail.

"Defiantly possible…" he said staring at the floor and scratching his head. "But the thing is why?" He sounded frustrated, "Why here? Well I mean why now? That would be the better question."

He seemed to suddenly remember he wasn't alone. Harley just shook her head. The Tardis stopped whirring. "Are we there?"

"Does anyone else in your house have a car?"

"Yeah, why?" she thought she already knew why.

"Is it here?"

"No… but if you leave I'll just find another way to the school. I'm very creative and very resourceful. If I want something I usually get it. I just need to get my stuff then I'll be right back… actually, you are coming with me. I don't trust you."

"Don't trust me? You know more about me and my past then I do about I about the you that is standing right in front of me and you're worried about trusting me?!"

"You just answered your own question. I know more about you. I like you a lot. You are smart funny and you have great hair. But, you will leave. You don't trust me. You left Rose once. You locked her in the Tardis and sent her home but you still left." She watched as his expression became unreadable. "I won't get left until I know they are safe. Everyone that was at that school, every one in this city, will be safe before I get left behind. Now come on. My parents will want to see you."

She started to open the door. "I'll need to know who I'm meeting."

"Ground rules. No staring at anything or anyone. Don't ask questions. Only speak when spoken to and stay close to me. Watch your pockets too; my sisters and my brother have sticky fingers."

She pushed the door open and his eyes popped wide open. The back yard was lit with torches. The back wall of the first floor was solid glass. The house was three stories high. Every window on the second floor had light in it.

"You're staring."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah…" Harley slid the glass door open. "Stay close," she whispered.

They made it as far as the hallway before they heard footsteps. "Go back!" she whispered frantically. They turned and headed back toward the other side of the room they had come into. When they got back they turned right in to the kitchen. "Stay low and don't trip over anything." Her voice was barely a whisper. They ducked under the counter and crawled to the far end of the kitchen. They made it out into the hall. Once they were there they stood up.

"Try to stay in my foot steps and _do not_ shift your weight too suddenly." She wasn't whispering anymore but her voice was still quiet.

"Why do we have to sneak into your house?" He whispered following her down the hall.

"Because I don't know if they know that I was gone. I would rather not have to explain to them why I am up, and fully dressed, running around the country with a fictional character from my favorite TV show." She sighed. "I don't know if the they have the stairs roped off or not. We may have to climb the slide. That should be interesting…"

"_Favorite_ TV show?"

"I just told him we may have to climb a slide indoors and the only thing he hears is 'favorite TV show'… men… they must be the same on every planet. Only interested if it shows how interested we are in them…" she shook her and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I like science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, some times dramas are ok… it just depends on my mood. Doctor Who has everything. So it doesn't matter what mood I'm in when I sit down to watch it, I'm guaranteed something satisfying."

"Harley what are you doing out of bed? And Why isn't your car in the garage?"

"Hello, Nita. I'm fine. Thanks for asking, how has your day been?"

"Don't get smart with me. I'll tell Mom and Dad."

"Tell them what, exactly? That you snuck down to the kitchen for some ice cream and on your way back decided to stop by the garage and find the stash of chocolate noticed my car was gone then caught me going up to my room? Is that what you'll tell them? Cause that's the honest truth and you can't tattle on me with getting yourself in trouble. So what are you going to do?" There were more footsteps from behind them. "Run!" Harley whispered.

They all three took off toward the other end of the hall. "Nita are the stairs roped off?"

"No, they take the ropes down at eleven thirty." Nita looked over her shoulder and past Harley. "Wait a second. Who's he?"

"Oh, sorry. Mr. Smith meet my younger sister Nita. Nita meet my friend Mr. Smith."

"Why didn't you--" Harley cut him off.

"I'll explain later! Nita, I need you to cover for me if they realize I'm gone. If I'm not back by noon tomorrow, tell them that David Tennant and I went out fighting and that I love them." She paused at the door to the stairs. She reached out and hugged her sister. "Give each of the little ones a hug for me. Only if I'm not back by noon! I plan on being back though. If I get into any kind of trouble at all I'm telling them I followed you down stairs. Who do you think they'll believe? The repeat offender or the first time offender?"

Nita looked at Harley eyes widened in shock at her tone. But she nodded her head in ascent. Harley leaned on the door with unnecessary force and shot up the stairs. The Doctor smiled at Nita, and followed Harley up the stairs and around a corner. She pulled her door open quickly then closed it softly. She went to the closet and started digging in the bottom corner. The Doctor looked around her room. There were posters of bands on the wall. On the far wall in one corner was a twin sized bed that looked like some one pulled out of it against their will.

On the same wall in the other corner was a desk. On the desk there were two computer screens and a laptop. On the sliding tray was a keyboard a mouse and a wireless internet antenna. Each of the three screens had something on them. They looked like blueprints.

Harley came out of the closet and laid several things on the bed. Then with out a word she went straight to the desk turned off the two extra monitors, and closed the program that was on the laptop then she pulled up the internet. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. She stepped away from the desk.

"Here. Read that… it should help… feel free to click on anything. It will tell you everything I know about you…" she turned back to the stuff on her bed.

He leaned over the computer she kicked a chair across the room to him and he sat down. He began reading and clicking with strangest most confused look on his face... He looked at the date in the bottom right corner of the screen. "That's why you asked if it really happened."

"Yeah. That was years ago. To my grandparents it's repressed they don't talk about it. They don't even remember it." She took a deep breath, "To my parents and their friends… some of them weren't born yet so it never happened… others were to young to remember anything more clearly than a nightmare."

They stood in silence. He pushed the chair away from the desk. "Who are you?"

"Harley Alice."

"What is your last name?"

"None of your business."

"Sorry, but this is a two way thing. You know who I am where I came from everything. I think it's only fair you tell something about yourself."

"Life not fair! You should know that better than anyone! Rose does. He's not you… I don't care what anyone says… she got shorted and you know it!"

"I leave you here or you tell me who you are."

Harley's jaw dropped open and her eyes looked near tears. Her shoulders fell and what ever she had in her hand fell to the floor with a quiet _thud_. "You… but…" her voice was small and quiet. Since he'd met her, her voice was always strong and almost impossible to defy. But now her voice was powerless and shocked. She hadn't been expecting him to threaten her. "Merson… Harley Alice Merson. Oldest daughter to the richest family in the southern united states." Her voice was barely a whisper. Her face was still a mask of pained shock, but she did manage to close her mouth.

The Doctor straightened up in recognition of her full name. "No. You're staying here."

"What?!" Her voice was stronger now.

"You're not going." He started for the door.

"Why not?" her voice was back to full strength. It was impossible to not answer her.

"Because I said so!"

"Who am I to you?"

"Spoilers…" he whispered absently to himself.

"I don't care! Obviously I'm important for something else. But I don't care about that right now! I want to help! Those are my friends out there."

"Harley Alice Merson, you will never step another foot inside the Tardis again." His voice was calm but there was that ringing silence that followed his words that it impossible to defy him.

"Why?" She asked more authority in her voice than earlier.

"Because it is too dangerous for you to be around me too much is at stake."

He went out the door and closed it quietly. She walked to the window next to the closet. She threw it open and slid down the fire escape. She got to the Tardis and waited by the doors till he got there.

"Did you really think that I haven't done this before?" She glared at him. "You know who I am now, so you should have seen that one coming!"

"Go back to your room. Go to bed. I'll figure out what's going on then I'll fix it and you'll never have to worry about anything but your education!"

"I'm not asking to come with--"

"No!"

"But--"

"NO!"

"I'M NOT ASKING TO BE A CHILD OF TIME! I JUST WANNA HELP!!" She took and deep breath watching the pain spread across his face. Then she whispered, "Sorry… that was uncalled for…" she took another breath, "You just left that didn't you? To you was just yesterday… to us it was forever ago if we remember at all… but to you… you left Donna's house and then came out in the hall at school, didn't you?"

"Get in." He pulled open the door. "What was it you needed from your room?"

"Just a few toys and gadgets…" she watched him climb into the Tardis in front of her, "Not all of them will work with out my car anyway… do you think when we get done we could cheat and get it back?" She closed the door and the Tardis started whirring.

**Sorry it took so long… but I got it done finally… it is the longest chapter and it took the longest to figure out… but I got it… let me know what you think… I'll start working on the fourth chapter but I'm not posting it till I start getting reviews… I'm going to start be being really tough on you guys!!**


	4. Chapter 4: Stay

"Alright… so what do we do?"

She stood by the door watching The Doctor pull levers and throw switches. The Tardis jerked slightly. "Shouldn't we be there by now? We weren't that far from the school."

"I'm not sure we should go back to the school just yet." He pulled a screen closer to him and swiveled it so he could see it better. "We have to talk."

"Ugh… I'm sorry that was uncalled for but you know it was true!"

"Not about that. About following directions… you have a pattern of not following them. Since you know who I am you know that if I say something I mean it. You managed to talk your way back on to the Tardis."

"I do to follow directions."

"Only the ones you like. You're going to listen to me. Alright?" He looked up from the screen and stared right into her eyes.

There it was.

Her mouth fell open a bit. The depth of his brown eyes was painful. But she couldn't look away. His beautiful brown eyes weren't just beautiful. There was so much there.

The power. The authority. The years… the pain… The agony of loss, the guilt of responsibility for everyone he _couldn't_ save. Of course that isn't how he saw it.

They stood in silence for a minute. Their gazes were locked on each other's eyes. Harley started to feel dizzy and realized she had stopped breathing. She inhaled deeply and slowly. She closed her mouth and nodded.

"I'll try. I won't make any promises. But I will try. I know you and obviously you know me. So we have to find some middle ground… you don't give any instructions I won't follow and I'll follow the ones you give me…" she was still staring shocked into his eyes. She attempted to smile, but she couldn't be sure if she'd even moved, forget whether she smiled or not.

The Doctor looked back to the screen and then started pulling levers again. Then the Tardis whirred. A minute later it jerked and stopped whirring.

"Plan?"

"You stay here-"

"I came to help."

"Let me finish!" He shook his head and commented to himself, "You're worse than I thought." Then he continued, "You stay here and make sure that this monitor stays blank." He pointed to the screen he had been looking at. "I'm going to see who were up against and how many of them there are. When I get back we'll go from there."

"What if the screen doesn't stay blank?" She asked glaring at him. Did he really think she would fall for that?

"Uh…"

"The screen isn't even on is it? You just want me to stay here." She crossed her arms and leaned on the railing by the door.

"Please stay? I won't be long. Then I should have more for you to do when I get back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Harley turned her gaze to the floor while she considered his offer. She looked up with a dangerous smile. She turned to face him. She was still smiling. He blinked once in surprise at her reaction.

"If you're lying I get your converses!"

"What!"

"That's the deal... or I could just follow you out." She crossed her arms again. Still smiling triumphantly.

"You don't even like converses!"

"How—oh yeah… So what? That's the deal take it or leave it, Mister!"

"But… they… my… What!"

"Time's a wasting and if you are telling the truth then you don't have to worry about it!"

"Fine! I'll have something for you to do when I get back." He was shocked at how this turned out. He couldn't believe that his shoes were on the line! After this was over she was _definitely_ going home. And she was fine with that. She just wanted to help out now… she didn't care to get into anymore trouble than she was in now.

"Well, are you going to go find out what we're up against, or are you going stare at me all night long like I've lost my marbles?" Harley stepped out of the way of the door.

Just then there was a huge explosion and the whole Tardis shook. She fell sideways into the railing. She definitely bruised a rib or two. She stood back up, wincing slightly. She ran a hand over her side nothing hurt to bad, and she didn't feel anything move that shouldn't move. The Doctor was slightly off balance but other wise appeared undamaged.

"Maybe we should get reinforcements."

"There isn't anyone."

"Jack?"

"No! D-"

"'Don't. Just… no… don't.' I know. I was just making a suggestion. I'm not remotely interested… besides I'm sixteen…" she twisted her face in disgusted. "Isn't there anyone?"

"Nope. I'll be back in a minute or two. Stay here!"

"It's your converse if I don't have a job when you get back." But there was no humor in her voice and she didn't smile. She was still holding her ribs when he closed the door.

The Doctor ran down the hall. At every corner he stopped and looked around, expecting Harley to be standing behind him. When he was certain she wasn't going to be there he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and twisted it. He followed the reading to the far end of the school. It looked like an office area. There wasn't anything there. He walked around the desks and counters. Nothing.

He pulled up a computer tower out from under a desk and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the back. The monitor came on and lights flashed on the tower as the system came up. When the system was fully loaded the Doctor pulled up the surveillance system. He watched the screen. Each camera showed something different. The office showed him standing at a computer. One hall showed the Tardis, the door cracked open, Harley Alice stuck her head out. She looked up and down the hall, then straight up at the camera. She took a deep breath shook her head and shut her self back in the Tardis.

The other cameras showed figures moving around. They all had thick clouds of smoke billowing around the rooms and halls. One of the cameras view suddenly cleared. The Doctor was looking into the cafeteria. The figures seemed to congregating.

They all seemed to be gathering around a single form. It appeared to be female. Her eyes were snakelike. Her mouth was twisted into terrible smile, her teeth were razor sharp. She lifted her hands, to silence the crowd. On her right hand she had a nasty gash across the palm.

There was no sound. If the doctor wanted to hear what she was telling the others he was going to have to find the cafeteria. He ran out of the office and continued down the hall away from the Tardis.

He could hear the final whispers of conversations in the crowd. The female was becoming impatient. "Silence!" Her voice was deep and echoed through room. Everyone fell silent. The authority that radiated from her was unmistakable. She was in charge and no one questioned her. That was obvious.

"We are starved. We are tired. Some of you have started to doubt." Her eyes slid to certain individuals. "By all rights those of you who doubt should be dead, but what would that prove to you? I knew we were close to new feeding grounds. How could I teach any of you anything you if I have to kill you before we get there?"

Some of the crowd stirred. The doctor could see that almost all of them had gashes on their palms, like their leader. He stood by a side door. He was leaning around to see hoping he wouldn't be seen.

"Now that I have your confidence back, I know that you trust your queen again. If you don't then you should know that you won't be feeding with the rest of us." Her eyes came to rest on one of the members in the front row.

"I am not one to doubt my Queen. If you _think_ I am then so be it, but know that I never did."

"Very well then." She nodded to someone off to the side, "Then tonight, our starvation ends!" Her right hand shot in to the air. Where there had been a gash there was now an opening in her palm. The edges of the opening had teeth going all the way the around it.

Several of the gathered group cheered and others shouted, "Bring them in!" Soon the whole group was parting making a path to a far door. The door opened and people were being pushed through. They looked terrified. Some of them were teenagers.

"Some one has escaped, my queen." Some one said above the noise. "She vanished from their storage facilities. She was seen in the parking lot; we followed her to a road then lost her in the traffic."

"Harley," the Doctor whispered to himself. He turned and headed back down the hall toward the TARDIS.

Harley was pacing around the center control panel; she walked to the door. She started to push it open then stopped and pulled it shut again. She had done this twice since he left. She returned to pacing. He had been gone for five minutes. She was getting antsy. Every time she passed the door she huffed, clenched her fists, and averted her eyes in the other direction.


End file.
